"Hey, Natalie." I greeted her on the phone as I turned the knob on the stove. I had found a recipe online and found I had the ingredients to make a simple chicken noodle soup which should be good for Eva's stomach now that she was finally gaining a bit of an appetite after being sick.

"Hi. I was just on my break and thought I would check up on both of you. See how you're both doing." By the sound of cars driving by, it was easy to notice she was now outside, probably trying to get some air after a long shift.

"We're doing pretty good. I made a very simple chicken noodle soup for dinner. Eva's fever broke around one this afternoon and she's finally got a bit of an appetite."

'I'm glad to hear it. No residual stomach pain, nausea, throwing up?"

"She only threw up that one time. I've been having her lay down as much as possible which I think has helped her relax a little and gear up for whatever the next week of school throws her way."

"Speaking of that, I know you mentioned earlier how Eva wasn't exactly thrilled with staying in the after school program. You can tell me if you're not okay with this but I was wondering how you felt about my nanny taking Eva, at least until you can find someone to watch her."

"I don't know. Eva has a lot going on right now that I'm still trying to figure out. Are you sure your nanny wants to take on another kid?"

"After Jeffrey died, I thought I would always be on my own taking care of Owen. I thought in no way can this person my friends were suggesting be the right one to love and take care of my child while I'm away working. Turns out she was the best person. She's helped me navigate the turmoil of being a doctor and single mother, and has helped Owen be okay with me being away for long periods of time while not having his father around. I never thought about Owen needing someone to talk to about his feelings besides the people he already knew."

"I'll talk it over with Eva. See what she thinks." Just as I said that Eva leaned against the back of the couch with her head resting on her folded arms.

"Of course. Eva is an important part of this decision. Let me know what she says. Either way, no big deal."

"I will try and let you know later on today." Catching her eye, Eva looked intrigued at the mention of her name.

"No rush. I'll be at work for a few more hours, so call or text when you're ready."

"I will. Thanks, Natalie."

"You're welcome. Bye."

"Bye."

"Natalie, again?" Eva questioned as she sat up on the couch, her head popping up as she sniffed the air. "What are you cooking? That smells really good."

"Chicken noodle soup."

"Homemade or like from a can." She did her best to peer over at the pan on the stove, but her foot kept sliding on the couch making it difficult for her to get a good look at it.

"Homemade."

"So what does she want you to ask me?"

"She wants to know if you were okay with her nanny watching you while I was at work. At least until I can find someone to watch you. Natalie has a boy, probably about a year younger than you and he goes to the same school as you do."

"Would I still have to go to the after school thing?"

"Not if you don't want to."

"Good. I don't really want to. Nobody really asks me to play with them. It's okay drawing, but sometimes it gets a little boring."

"Do the other kids not ask you to play with them?"

"Not really. There's this kid in my class that goes to the after school thing. I don't think he really likes me that much because he always makes faces at me."

"Does he just make faces at you, or does he do other things too?"

"Just faces, mostly." Eva shrugged like it was no big deal. I could tell it was and I thought about what Natalie had mentioned about Eva needing someone else to talk to in order to open up."His name is Matthew. He's kind of annoying anyway."

"As long as he's not being mean. So what do you think?"

"About the nanny?"

"Yes. About the nanny and not having to go to the after school program." Sitting down beside her, she flopped down beside me with what sounded with a long sigh.

"I like not having to go to the after school program, but I also don't know how long I would have to be with her."

"Until I get off work and am able to pick you up. I'll admit I don't know all the details yet. I would still have to talk to her and see if she's a good fit for both of us."

"When would I see you if she's with me?"

"Depending on what happens, we'll just have to make time to see each other when we can, okay. And you can let me know if you like her or not?"

"I guess. At least I wouldn't have to go to the program. I still don't like that I won't see you."

"So, is that a yes?" I could tell she was thinking about it, perhaps even on the fence about allowing someone else to take care of her while I was at work. "Remember when we were at the park and you asked me why I gave you up if I wanted you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, there were a lot of different reasons why I did what I did. Like you having a mom and dad who was around to take you to school, or someone who could always be around to tuck you in at night.I didn't grow up in a good home and knew that I wanted something better for you."

"I know." Looking at her hands, she was wringing them together nervously before sitting silently again. "I don't have them anymore. I have you, right?"

"You do." Leaning forward, I wanted her to understand what I was telling her. Of course I cared about her well-being and who she was taking care of her. I had seen horror stories of kids who had been abused by their babysitter, nanny neighbor, or even in some cases a parent or a grandparent. "What I'm trying to say is, because it's just the two of us we have to do things differently than what we both wanted."

"Even if we don't want to?"

"Even if we don't want to." Repeating her words with the shake of my head, I hoped she understood the meaning behind the conversation.

"I guess I could try." Lifting her chin, she sniffed at the air again before gravitating to the kitchen and stopping in front of the stove. "Is the soup finished? I'm hungry." I could tell she was avoiding talking more about going with the nanny, so I decided not to push it too much.

"It should be." Following her into the kitchen, I picked up the wooden spoon and stirred the contents from the bottom to the top of the pain.

"Can I see?"

"Sure." Lifting her up, I was careful to avoid putting too much pressure on her stomach so she could see into the pot. The soup was now bubbling slightly as it simmered on the stove. "Yum. Smells good."